Monday, May 16, 2016

What I'm Reading Now | How To Raise A Healthy Child In Spite Of Your Doctor

How To Raise A Healthy Child...In Spite Of Your Doctor

by Robert S. Mendelsohn, MD

Okay, this is one of those books. One of those books that is going to get me all riled up and passionate. And when I get passionate about something, I tend to go on and on and on about it. I will research other things and probably go out and start buying up the other books the author has written. And I have barely even begun reading this book! I've read the intro and then just went to the index and looked up different ailments and his take and recommendation on them. And I am ECSTATIC!

You all know how I feel about natural remedies and the belief that the body can heal itself. Well, during a recent bout of illnesses in our house, I did freak out a little bit when both of my little boys came down with super high fevers of 104-105 and those fevers stuck around for about 5 days. With Levi, I wasn't so much worried, but Austin mentioned how his head hurt, and then I started freaking out that it might be viral meningitis (the not very dangerous one...bacterial meningitis is the one to be afraid of!! But since their symptoms are the same, you definitely want to watch out!). Anyway, my online crunchy friends (some medical professionals) talked me through what signs to check for to better determine if I needed to take him in to be seen. But since Levi had just had it and recovered, I figured that Austin probably had the same thing and would be fine. Their symptoms were EXACTLY the same, except for the headache that he mentioned and it wasn't a bad enough one to stop him from playing. ANYWAY...back to topic...one of the moms recommeded that I buy this book. She said that it has been a sanity saver for her and her mommy anxieties. So I clicked right over to Amazon and ordered myself a copy for I believe under $5.

This book is amazing!! And, considering that I have 4 kids and have seen my fair share of childhood illnesses, I've got to say that he's very right on so many points. Let me point out that he was a pediatrician...some say one of America's leading pediatrician's. However, he fell out of graces with the powers that be because he spoke out against overmedicating and how male doctors sometimes manipulate their female patients, how water flouridation was a bad thing...things like that will not win you favors in the mainstream medical community. As he put it: "Others in the profession do not deal kindly with doctors who raise questions about their cherished vaccines." But that's something I'll discuss later! In this book, he talks about how you don't need to call the doctor every time your little kid gets sick.

How most of the time, going to the doctor is just going to cause more problems than are already going on. He goes into detail for many common childhood illnesses and explains how you can treat them at home. Not really natural remedies, but hey, it's still pretty nice. I can find the natural remedies on my own. This book was written back in the 1980s and he seems to recommend aspirin a lot for children. That part I'm not so sure about but, oh well, I'm not going to quibble. He does really seem like he knows what he's talking about.

He does clearly say that doctors, most of the time, don't mean to give you bad advice. That oftentimes their bad advice is a product of their education. Pharmaceutical companies play a major role in the textbooks and education that doctors get. Well, what do you think a pharmaceutical company is going to recommend for a person that isn't well? Garlic and lemon juice (that really will cure illnesses!)?? No! Of course they're going to push the pills! And teach the doctors that that's the way it needs to be done. "That's what good, caring and smart doctors would do" if you get my drift.

To quote the back cover of the book, "With Dr. Mendelsohn's help, you can trust your instincts."

That is huge. When my boys get sick and I start to worry, my mom has been asking me lately "Monica...what are your mommy instincts telling you? Does he really need to go to the doctor? Listen to that little voice." (and my mom isn't really into home remedies!!...though I am pulling her to that side hahaha) And, most often, after taking a few deep breaths and focusing on what I really think needs to happen, I have yet to choose to take the kids in. I've handled it by myself and have never had anything adverse or horrific happen from it.

ALL of my kids regularly drink Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar to combat germs and illnesses, among other things.

A few bullet points that Dr. Mendelsohn makes in this book:

At least 95% of the ailments that children get will heal themselves and do not require medical attention

At least 90% of drugs prescribed are unnecessary and are dangerous for the children that take them

At least 90% of children's surgery is unnecessary

Most pediatricians have received little to no education covering the fundamentals of nutrition and pharmacology and no emphasis is placed on these subjects in medical school

These are pretty staggering admissions to me. They are so contrary to what we are lead to believe, you know?

But...if you're a "crunchy" or natural wellness-minded person like me, you know how it goes. Anytime a doctor or medical professional speaks out against the pharmaceutical companies, they are ridiculed. Sometimes their medical license is pulled. There is a big surge in the medical community and with the media to discredit this doctor who is actually trying to help save people! I've also found it curious as to why these doctors, even after being ripped apart by the mainstream public, will still go forth and tell people what they know. I mean, if they were lying and just making things up, wouldn't they just realize that their medical career was over and they were a laughingstock?

Lately, we've been seeing a huge rise in the sudden and unexpected deaths of a lot of doctors who promote natural wellness. Seriously, check the internet. A lot of theses deaths are very suspicious. In fact, Dr. Mendelsohn died suddenly 4 years after publishing this book. Dead at 61 from a heart attack. I think that the timing is a little strange, given how he was really pissing off a lot of the medical community and really adversely affecting the flow of money into the wallets of the pharmaceutical bigwigs.

I have seen great success with the natural remedies that I do and that I recommend to friends and family. I know that they work. And I have spoken on occasion with medical professionals that were mainstream and who don't believe in natural remedies or homeopathy. And they will sit there and try to scare me, giving me false statistics on the dangers of illnesses. Telling me that garlic can't cure anything.

I call bullshit.

I know it works. I've seen it work time and time again.

Which makes me really wonder who's telling the truth? People like Dr. Mendelsohn, who say that illnesses like chickenpox are rarely dangerous or something to be scared of? Or the doctor who tried to push me and scare me into getting my youngest two children the varicella vaccine? I denied the varicella vaccine, they both got chickenpox (read our chickenpox adventures HERE)...and they were fine! (Yes, there are complications...believe me, Dr. Google made sure to tell me just how dangerous they are...but I stayed firm and nursed my babies back to health with not one single complication) Yeah. Gotta love a group of people who make money off of scaring parents and feeding into their deepest fears. Give me the one who's going to be upfront and honest and let me know, "Hey, mom. You're doing a great job. Don't worry, you've got this!"